Gate of Amitiricia Online

Chapter 1

First Login

　I, Kenji Kano, became interested in this game only by accident. I had always preferred tabletop RPGs to computer RPGs and had no interest in the MMORPGs that had been available until then.

　Then I happened to see an online application for beta testers for a game called [Gate of Amitiricia Online]. I was about to let it go, thinking that another new MMO was on the way, when my eyes caught a sentence that read, “Stimulates the five senses” and “Freedom = imagination = infinity”.

　Upon closer inspection, I found that the game was a VR game that “allows you to play as if you exist in the game world”. Instead of following the avatar’s back through the screen, you can act as an actual inhabitant of the world from the avatar’s point of view.

　Naturally, there are restrictions imposed by the system, but even so, the game seemed to offer a great deal of freedom compared to conventional MMOs. This is similar to TRPGs, in which actions expand based on ideas, and if such a game existed, I would definitely like to try it.

　However, I was not successful in the application for testers. To be honest, I could not believe my disappointment at that time. That’s how high my expectations were.

　”Hurry up and finish the beta test,” “Hurry up and release an official version.” Time passed as I wished for such things every day.

　The official release went on sale a week ago and is already up and running. I had gotten the official version as soon as pre-orders started, and was just waiting for the start date.

　However, I could not log in on the first day because I had to take a training course outside of the prefecture. I graced my boss with a superficial smile and a curse in my heart. I was immersed in my work, knowing that it was my fate as a working member of society, and that I had no choice but to accept.

　Finally, the moment of play arrived. When I got home, I took off my suit, started up my PC, and installed “GAO,” which I had picked up at the game store. I used the time until completion to get my household chores done.

　Once everything was done, I put on my VR gear and lay down on my bed.

　After logging in with my ID and password, I was taken to the avatar creation screen.

　Now, what to do? I had imagined many things before I started, but when it came time to create my avatar, I got nervous. After all, I was creating a character that would become my alter ego. If I wanted to create a new character, I would have to delete the one I had been using until then. I had to be very careful.

　A mannequin-like human figure stands in front of you. This is the avatar. The appearance is decided by tweaking it, but first the name is required.

　My real name is out of the question. In a Western-style fantasy world, it would not be appropriate. So I thought of a Western-style name, but nothing seemed to fit. The only names that came to mind were common ones, and I am sure there are many players with the same idea. I thought about playing around with my name a bit, but it’s Kenji… yeah, there seems to be a lot of “Ken,” so there’s no way to mess with it… No, I translated “Ken (拳)” into English and input [Fist]…

　”The name is available. Are you sure you want to proceed?” I get a confirmation. I decide to go ahead with it.

　The next step is to create the appearance. I can select from a sample of parts, but it seems that I can also bring my imagination into the game. It is also possible to modify the details of the selected sample with the use of imagination. When I tried to imagine an appropriate cartoon character, the body in front of me was transformed. It was not a perfect replica, but was corrected to look as if the character were a live-action version of the character. No, I wouldn’t use it, no matter how much I wanted to.

　By willing the body to what it was originally, it returned to a mannequin-like appearance. Well, then, let’s decide step-by-step.

　Hair color and skin color vary. The skin color was within the range of common sense, and there was no color that was impossible for a human being. Wait, there are pink and green hair colors, right? Which one shall I choose? Gold hair… No, that’s not a good idea. There’s also the combination with skin color… brown skin, with black hair… oh, that looks good. I’ll choose a random haircut. Not too short, not too long. I decided on this one, tweaked it a bit, and that’s about it.

　Next, the eye color. I see that it is possible to make the left and right eyes different colors. What about heterochromia? It’s possible, but that oddity is not what I want. I think I’ll make both left and right eye black.

　No reason to make the body too big, so I decided to make it a little over 170cm (~5’7), in other words, realistic. The default body shape is the same as the real body shape. How should I change it from here? I don’t want to make him obese or skinny, so should I keep a realistic body… or should I make it thin and macho? Let’s make that narrower… yeah, like that. The real me is a little more stout.

　I think I’ll keep the default face shape. I’ll tweak the eyes, eyebrows, nose, and mouth. Do this and this… Yeah, I’d say it’s better than average.

　Final check on the overall image. So that’s appearance creation, huh.

　Next, skill selection.

　I’ve already decided on a play style, so all I need is to acquire the skills necessary for it. I don’t think about which skills are strong or weak, useful or useless. It is a build for my own enjoyment.

　Thus, I picked up the skills I had decided to take.

　Hand-to-hand skills: Skill for barehanded combat.

　Spirit magic: Skill to manipulate spirit magic

　Cooking: Skill to cook food

　Agility Enhancement: Skill to enhance agility

　Food Processing: Skill to process food ingredients

　Farsightedness: Skill to see things in the distance

　Night Vision: Skill to see in the dark

　Concealment: Skill to hide yourself

　Animal Knowledge: Skill to gain knowledge about animals

　Botanical Knowledge: Skill to gain knowledge about plants

　That should do it. I don’t want to be strong in the game at this point, because the main thing I have wanted to do since I learned that the game appeals to the five senses is to [taste].

　I want to eat the food in the game. I want to cook it myself. It would be nice to recreate real dishes in the game. It would be fun to find and eat unknown ingredients. Of course, there will be risks involved in obtaining them, and some of them may kill you if you eat them (in the game, that is). These are the experiences that I want to enjoy.

　I will seek a certain amount of fighting skills to procure food, and I plan to actively participate in events and the like. However, my basic plan is to eat and walk around, and if possible, create new dishes. At this point, I am not thinking of setting up a restaurant or doing business. Someday I plan to acquire my own land, build a house, raise crops and livestock there, and go on adventures from time to time to secure unknown foodstuffs, living a kind of self-sufficient life. Since it is impossible to build a house with farmland while maintaining the current level of civilization in real life, it would be nice to at least dream about it here.

　I tweaked the settings to complete the process. Then a message appeared in front of me. The avatar creation is complete.

　”The degree of freedom in this world is unlimited, and most of the actions that players wish to take can be performed.

　However, as a matter of course, what is [possible] is not necessarily what is [permissible] or [acceptable] in this world.

　Players are free to do whatever they want in this world.

　However, please remember that whatever happens as a result of your actions, [you are entirely responsible for it].

　Please act at your own risk. We will not be held responsible for anything that happens to you or other players as a result of your actions.”

　I know this message. No, even if I don’t, most people who play GAO know this message. It has been on the top page of this game’s official homepage ever since the game’s official homepage was launched a short while ago.

　Act with judgment on what is right and what is wrong. It’s common sense. If it were true, there would be no need to remind us every time.

　Unfortunately, however, there are people who cannot do such an obvious thing. It is probably a warning to such people.

　However, I have my doubts. If there are things that should not be done, why not put restrictions on them in the system from the beginning?

　For example, this game implements the act of PK, in which a player attacks another player. In the real world, this act would include everything from assault to murder, and in the real world, it would obviously be wrong to do. However, the system allows it.

　How should this be judged? Simply put, if an act is permitted by the system, one would think that there is no problem in doing it. Player Killing is possible, but is it a good thing to do? If it had been implemented since the beta, we would have known the consequences by now, but it seems that PK has been built into the official version, and while it is known that PK already occurs, what happens as a result of PK remains unknown.

　Well, back to the point, as a matter of fact, this sentence in itself does not affect me in any way. As long as I act in the game with the same ethical standards as in real life, there should be no problem.

　Of course, there is a possibility that real-life ethics will not apply in the game. In short, do not commit crimes and do not cause trouble for others. This should be the same in any world.

　Scrolling down the message, you will see “Only those who agree to the above can proceed. Do you agree?” The words “Yes” and “No” appear after the sentence “Do you agree?”

　Without hesitation, I chose “Yes.”

　”I expect all players to be [humans] with reason and conscience.”

　The last sentence displayed. Without reading too much into it, it seems to be a reminder to act as decent human beings who can conform to society.

　Then the message fades away, and a light in the distance gradually approaches. I closed my eyes and opened them.

　When I opened my eyes, I found myself in a new world.

　The hustle and bustle of an old Western-style town filled the air. Many of the people passing by are clad in armor and carrying weapons.

　A breeze caressing your cheek. A smell that tickles your nose. The unusual air.

　”Amazing…”

　Those were the first words that spontaneously came out of my mouth after stepping into this world.

　It is a game, but it doesn’t feel like a game. My five senses were telling me that what I was seeing was another reality.

　I could not help but feel excited about the various things that would happen in the future and that I would be involved in. But first things first.

　Eat!

　That’s what I came here for, so I want to eat a variety of foods that exist in this world. It doesn’t have to be something that does not exist. I just want to taste.

　I am in the central square of Einfast, the first city that appears to those who log in for the first time. It is quite large, and avatars are moving around.

　”By the way… where am I supposed to go?”

　The city itself seems quite large. I activate the map, but only part of the square is open. This is designed to only open places I’ve been, so I’ll have to explore and fill in the blanks at some point.

　”Um, excuse me.”

　Deciding it would be quicker to ask, I called out to the avatar who was nearby.

　”Hmm, what is it?’

　The man who answered me was a small, fat man who looked to be in his mid-thirties.

　I asked, “Do you know of any good places around here that sell food?”

　”Food, right. As in a dish, or just ingredients?”

　”Uh… both.”

　I think about it and answer. I want to eat food, and I want to make it myself. I want to know where to find a restaurant, but I also want to know where to buy the ingredients.

　The man points in a certain direction. “The market over there would be good for ingredients.”　

　And now he pointed me in another direction. “You can sometimes find bargains at street stalls, but the market is the best place to be sure. You can find most things there. And for meals, there are food stalls, but the stores are concentrated on the main street over there.”

　”Do you have any recommendations?”

　”I heard that a store that was recently opened by an outsider was being talked about.”

　”What?” I couldn’t help but blurt out. This man said ‘outsider’. I had always assumed he was a PC because his words and actions were so natural. I have no idea what kind of technology is used, but it must be amazing.

　This is interesting. It seems that unless they are very distinctive, you can’t tell the difference between a PC and an NPC just by their appearance. Well, unarmed avatars are probably NPCs at first.

　Actually, there is a way to distinguish between PCs and NPCs in the system. All you have to do is turn on the marker display in the settings. Then a marker will appear above your head to indicate that you are an NPC.

　I had that feature turned off. And I’m not going to turn it on. It’s more realistic this way. It’s not like that person is an object in a game, just looking at the words and actions. It’s an individual, right there. As a tabletop gamer, this is definitely more to my liking.

　”I’m sorry, I can’t remember the restaurant.”

　”No, this much is enough. Thank you very much.”

　I thanked him and decided to go to the market first.

　But a store opened by an outsider…? I wonder how many people are already that experienced after only one week since the start of the project. How much it costs to open a store? To buy the land? How hard they had to work to earn it? Did they charge for it?

　Well, let’s leave it at that. Food comes first.

　I proceeded to go to the market as the man had said.

　While I was doing this, I was hearing people asking for parties and asking for advice on strategy. It has already been a week since the start. Even if you are not a hardcore player, you probably have a good grasp of the world and are having a good time. GAO has an information board on its official website, so making good use of it, I should be able to make up for joining late.

　However, I’m not really interested in the meta, so I’ll just go check the information I want when I need it.

　Now, after passing through the plaza, I came to an even bigger street. The number of people passing by has increased, and it is full of activity.

　I checked around the area and found some signs that seemed to help me find my way to the main facilities.

　The market is that way. And if that is the armory street, there must be a lot of stores selling armor just as it says. I wonder if there is an arena if I go that way… Oh, I see it. It’s a small structure, but it looks like the Colosseum in Rome. Maybe I’ll go there later. Hmm, Honey Street? What, is honey a specialty of this town? I like sweet things. I’ll check it out later.

　I can’t help it, I’m getting distracted. But I’m going to do what I set out to do. I better hurry for my food.

　I was making my way to the market, looking around the streets as if I were a country bumpkin, but then my feet naturally stopped.

　”This smell is…”

　Yes, it was the smell that stopped me in my tracks. I knew immediately where it was coming from. There was a stall at the end of the street where a bearded man was grilling something. I didn’t know what it was.

　My feet were heading for the stall when I noticed it.

　”Oh, come in!

　”Hey, what’s this thing you’re grilling?”

　What was being grilled was something like a bird’s leg. Pointing at it, he asked.

　”Is this it? This is a chicken leg.”

　Chicken, huh? Chickens are birds that exist in real life, but are there any differences between chickens in this world and the other?

　While I was thinking about this, a window opened in front of me.

[Chicken (??? species): a common edible chicken. (species): a common edible bird. Various species exist.]

　I see, so this triggered the [Animal Knowledge] skill. But this seems incomplete. I got a description of chickens, but there is some information left blank. Either way, it’s probably not a species I know, but I’m curious.

　”So what species is it?”

　I ask, to no avail. But then,

　”You’ll be surprised, it’s a Tiokuri. It’s delicious.”

　The geezer said with his nose up in the air, Even if you say that, I don’t understand what was so special about it, is what I thought.

　[Tiokuri chicken: a common edible bird. A high-end breed of chicken. The meat tastes great, but the eggs are not so good.]

　And the window information was updated.

　The quality and other information has been updated now that the species is known. Did the additional information reduce the difficulty of the knowledge judgment, and the re-judgment succeeded? …No. Is that how knowledge skills work in this world in the first place?

　In any case, it seems that gathering information through dialogue will bring me closer to more complete information on the parts I am unsure about. It is said that asking is a temporary shame, and I will keep asking about what I don’t understand as soon as I have the chance.

　I’ll leave verify this later…

　”How much are these, old man?”

　”Seventy pedia a piece.”

　The unit of currency in this world is pedia (ペディア). The current amount in my possession is 1,000 pedia. Now, I can buy it straight, but is this expensive or cheap? I casually looked at the other stalls and saw a stall selling fruits. There was a fruit that looked familiar. It looked like an apple in real life. Again, a window came up and told me that it was an apple. This must be the [Botanical Knowledge] skill.

　And the apples were 5 pedia each. Hmmm, I thought back to the real market price. If it had been apples, the price would have been around 150 yen for a pack of three apples at the supermarket. Then, one pedia would be about 10 yen, and this chicken would cost about 700 yen.

　It may seem a little expensive, but that is about the price of a beef skewer at a festival stall. Moreover, in the case of this chicken, it is said to be a luxury item even in this world. And since the skill of the chef has been proven, there can be no doubt about it. High-grade chicken meat costs 700 yen. That makes it seem like a cheap deal.

　”I’ll have one.”

　”Sure, here ya go!”

　I immediately made up my mind and placed my order. At the same time as he shouted, the geezer scooped up a leg of chicken that was being grilled over charcoal with a fork, put it on a large leaf, and presented it to me.

　I took 70-pedia out of my pocket and handed it to the old man while taking the meat.

　Wrapping the end of the leaf around the meat, I hold the meat and enjoy the smell first. The smell, like teriyaki chicken in real life, stimulates my appetite. The pseudo-sensation of spit in my mouth seems to be urging me to hurry up and eat it.

　”Then, thank you for the meal.”

　I mumble to myself, bite into the meat, and chew it to shreds. The smell of sweet and spicy sauce with a hint of savory flavor penetrated my nose. The juices from the tender meat overflowed and filled my mouth. The more you chew, the stronger the sweetness of the meat becomes.

　”Delicious…”

　It absolutely delicious. I have never eaten such a tasty chicken. I regret that it is an ingredient that does not exist in the real world. No, I guess real, high quality chicken might be just as good as this.

　”How do you like it, lad?”

　”I love it! I’ve never tasted such a delicious chicken before, sir!”

　”I’m glad you like it, too! I’m glad you like it too!”

　The old man laughed in a good mood.

　”Well, I’m usually open here, so come by anytime.”

　”Oh, I’ll definitely be back!”

　I really wanted to eat a few more, but I held back. There was more to eat.

　What should I try next? Checking the stores around me, I moved on.

　The day ended with just walking around and eating, without ever reaching the market.

END